by Lucretia | Sep 28, 2016 | Cool People I Know |
Guest post by Louise Kennedy #coolpeopleIknow
In 2001, my husband, our five-year-old son and I came to live in Australia from the United Kingdom (UK).
We’d first met in Brisbane in 1991 when I’d come over to sing the lead role of Leila in an opera called The Pearlfishers. I was the star of the show and he was an actor. In an opera that means he had no words to say, but was just like an extra body in a costume onstage. He played a ‘mud man’ and the front end of an elephant, which at a certain point walked across the stage behind a gauze curtain, led by an elephant handler. There were two of them inside the elephant suit and it was so convincing that the RSPCA visited during the dress rehearsal to make sure we were feeding the elephant properly. I kid you not!
It was a whirlwind love affair and we married after only six weeks. When I returned to the UK he came too. I already had a daughter from my first marriage in the UK, so staying in Australia was out of the question for me. We settled into our married life and my husband became successful as a prop maker at the English National Opera and other places. But he never really settled in England and hankered for the day when we might return to his home country.
Eventually we had our own son and my husband’s fondest wish was for him to grow up in Australia. I agreed because I was always up for a bit of adventure, but we had to wait until my daughter was 18-years-old before we could all come as a family. So there we were in the UK planning and looking forward to the day when we would start our new idyllic life in the sun.
Except it didn’t turn out idyllic. I naively imagined that, as I‘d been hired to come in from the UK and sing in the past, I wouldn’t have any problem finding work. But it wasn’t easy and I failed to get the types of jobs I wanted. My husband said he would be prepared to do whatever job he could find so we could live in Australia. But after we arrived it was a different story. He looked far and wide for similar work in the theatre industry and just couldn’t find anything really suitable. There just wasn’t the same volume of new shows going on in Australia and he ended up working for events companies. As time went by, he became more and more disillusioned with the poor pay he received and the fact he had to travel so far from home to find work.
Life became a struggle and, without going into all the details, we ended up separating in 2008 and eventually divorced.
2008 was also the year I began training with William Whitecloud. I’d stumbled onto his book ‘The Magician’s Way’ in a second hand bookshop in the small town where we lived. I felt compelled to make contact and went to a hotel on the Sunshine Coast to hear an introductory talk about his work. That talk was enough to convince me this what was I needed in my life and I signed up for my first training.
The training began to give me amazing insights into human consciousness including how we create our lives by the choices we make and how all the ‘bad stuff’ that happens to us is the result of our ego’s unconscious sabotage. The insights I gained were phenomenal and revealed to me the unconscious beliefs that had shaped my life from when I was a baby. We are all ‘wounded’ in infancy by incidents that happen to us and we make up beliefs about ourselves like not being good enough, not being worthy and not being capable, to name but a few.
I began to piece together the beliefs had led me to my current situation and it was as if someone had turned on the light in the darkened room I was living in. I was also taught how to create end results that are in line with my true purpose.
I started choosing the results I wanted to achieve and began creating things in my life that I actually wanted, rather than feeling like a victim of my circumstances.
It’s been an interesting journey that has expanded my consciousness and given me a new purpose in life. I’ve since taken up oil painting and writing (poetry and a book). I’ve also created a new way of singing using parody and comedy which has been awesome, travelled and spent time in Italy teaching English which was a completely new experience for me. I have, in short, found ways to create opportunities to do what I love.
At 62 years of age I am re-inventing my life and my passion is helping others to do the same.
Louise Kennedy is a natural success and performance coach, spiritual healer, mother and grandmother. Formerly a professional opera singer with a 20-year career performing in opera houses across globe, Louise now uses her experiences to help others achieve their goals. Find out more about Louise on Facebook and at www.louisekennedy.com.au
by Lucretia | Jul 13, 2016 | Cool People I Know, create your life, follow your dreams, Inspiration |
Guest post by Ellie Chadwick for the #coolpeopleIknow series.
One thing you’ve got to know about me is that I’m an over-doer, or I used to be. During my time at uni I was the vice-president then the president of a club, I signed up for a few programmes including Business Advantage and Leadership, Development and Innovation (LDI) from which I gained a new volunteer role with Volunteering Qld designing social media graphics and assisting with event promotion. I was also a full-time volunteer state manager with a youth based non-government organisation tackling extreme poverty and I had a part-time job as the general manager’s assistant at a hotel in the city. During my summer breaks I traveled, mostly for volunteer work in Cambodia, first as a participant and then as a leader. Now not all of these ran smoothly for me and on a daily basis I would run into problems where I’d have to deal with a work issue during a lecture, or a volunteer issue at work and so forth. At the time I thought being busy was a sign of success and I always wondered why I had no time for things like drawing or going to the beach. I definitely took on too many responsibilities and didn’t focus on achieving one stepping stone at a time. The biggest lesson I learnt was quality over quantity and learning when to say no.
After I graduated I traveled to the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom. I actually skipped my graduation ceremony because it wasn’t about receiving that piece of paper, it was the experiences I had during that time and the person I grew into which I found most valuable. I’m not perfect, I’m still working on being a better sister, daughter and friend and I also know I have a lifelong journey of learning ahead of me. But I’ve found travelling has made me a part of the world not just the town I grew up in; I’ve met and learnt from people, history and culture and learnt new things about myself.
Returning home was difficult because I was back to reality. After having the job at the hotel and seeing my more mature co-workers stressed and complaining about their jobs, I decided not to apply for any but start my own instead. I applied for an ABN and became my own boss just like that, providing graphic design and communication services to small businesses and social enterprises in Australia from my van. Yes, that’s right, my van. The idea came to me after meeting my boyfriend. As a musician he travels a lot for gigs and I enjoy travelling, change and I had no idea where I wanted to base myself. So now I live in a van, travel Australia and freelance for work. It’s great because I’m combining all my passions into one, including my passion for being a global citizen leading a low-impact life, buying Fairtrade and organic, travelling and exercising my creativity through photography and design.
I got so fed up with consumerism especially fast fashion trends and people believing they needed the newest products. I have a keen interest in organic and sustainable living, using natural remedies over artificial and harmful chemicals, and creating less waste. I’m still to try dumpster diving but I truly believe we consume and waste too much so I want to be part of a counter culture which goes back to basics. I’ve always had a thrift mindset, limiting the amount of plastic I use and re-using, upcycling and fixing my possessions. So I cleaned out my bedroom and kept only what I truly needed: clothes, toiletries, laptop, camera and kitchenware. You’ll be able to find all the things I own in one place, my van.
My van has a duel battery system with two solar panels which run the fridge, pump for the tap (you don’t realise how important running water is until you don’t have it), lights, fan, a USB plug, lighter plug and an inverter to charge my laptop and camera battery. It’s fitted with a queen size bed, pantry, plenty of storage and a pull-out table.
So far I’ve travelled extensively around Tasmania and Victoria as well as visiting Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane multiple times. Along the way I take photos and notes about the towns and natural wonders for my own travel blog, Girl vs Van. My focus is on van travellers providing tips about living or temporarily traveling on the road and travel tips and insights about Australia’s beauty.
Living on the road is no picnic all of the time. There’s limited cooking facilities which means we eat a lot of one-bowl meals like rice, pasta, wraps and canned foods but I see it as a challenge to create yummy food with one saucepan. Also I’ve learnt a lot about how the van works because clocking up those kilometres requires a lot of tending to the engine and wheels. On rainy days there’s not a lot of options for activities apart from reading on the bed or retreating to a café. Another weakness of ours is to visit the local café for a coffee that turns into breakfast some mornings while trying not to spend over the weekly budget. The cost of living on the road is reasonably cheap compared to renting although luxuries such as a bathroom are exempt. To compensate for this we stay in free campgrounds and make friends who willingly invite us to their homes to share their company and utilities. I don’t feel like I miss out on anything instead I feel it’s more liberating to make do with limited stuff and it encourages more creativity for problem solving.
In the near future I’ll be travelling up the entire east coast aiming to reach Cairns by the end of August and have a wealth of content to write about. Eventually I’ll make my way around the country, a few times probably. I need to maintain my communication business to be able to live this life. I don’t miss being busy at all, I have found contentment in taking life slow and enjoying the simple things. With time on my hands, I get to work on my own designs and artworks which I had no time for while at uni. I sometimes miss having friends nearby but I enjoy meeting new people and seeing new sights. Living in a van is a challenge but it comes with complete freedom to go anywhere and it creates a sense of blissfulness that I love.
Ellie Chadwick is a freelance graphic designer, writer and amateur photographer born in Tasmania. With a BA Mass Comm (Med, Com & PR) she started her own Communications business focusing on graphic design and copywriting. She lives a minimalist life in a solar powered van writing a travel blog, Girl vs Van to help others explore the best of Australia.
by Lucretia | Jul 11, 2016 | Cool People I Know, create your life, follow your dreams, Inspiration |
Have you ever felt so happy that you could literally skip along the street? That is how I felt so many times during my recent trip to Italy. I felt playful, childlike and overwhelming joy for the moment and place I found myself in. Italy often generates these feelings for me and I find many of its inhabitants also create the same response.
On the day I arrived for my stay in a small town called Montefalco, my host offered to collect me from the nearest train station in his little black VW beetle.
Filippo was the epitome of the creative Italian – a furniture designer, painter, musician and writer, his enthusiasm and passion for life simply bursts from his every pore. With kisses on both cheeks and a warm embrace, he then somehow crammed my huge suitcase into the back seat of his car and we were off.
During our drive up the hill, his conversation covered Brexit, refugees, Syria, Libya and Gaddafi, Germany (their policies and the fact they would face off against Italy in a football match that night – clearly they were the ‘enemy’) and so many other subjects.
I liked immediately.
Filippo invited me to join him, his girlfriend Martina and some friends to watch the match at a bar that evening. Of course, I said yes. I’ve never watched Italians watching soccer before but it certainly lived up to all the stereotypes you could imagine; it was an emotional, dramatic and engrossing experience. We sat on plastic picnic chairs watching it on a big screen television. The bar was in a suburban street and drivers would often beep their horns in solidarity as they travelled past while my fellow match-watchers yelled their approval in response.
One supporter had brought along an Italian flag about the size of a Queen-size mattress and every now and then he’d stand in the middle of the street, waving it this way and that (while making way for the occasional passing car and lady on a bike).
As an observer, it was the passion of these people that struck me the most. Passion seems to be a way of life for so many Italians. They are passionate in love (you only have to walk down any street to witness the frequent public displays of affection to know this), passionate in argument and discussions (it’s never about restraint and control), passionate in their expressions (witness the hand gestures that accompany many conversations) and passionate about their football.
Passion for life is a way of life, not an exception. It’s this passion that I find inspirational and my trip to Italy also reminded me of my passion too.
I’m always inspired by people who are passionate about what they are here to do on this planet. I’m inspired by those who take chances and take the roads less traveled. I’m also inspired by those who, simply by getting up every morning and doing the best they can, make a difference just by showing up.
It is passion that is at the foundation of creating change, growth and the diversity of our experiences. For me, passion is the key.
My trip to Italy and meeting inspirational people like Filippo reminded me of my passion and my purpose. My passion is stories; the stories about how we live, the decisions we make, the challenges we face and our willingness to just keep going when we’d honestly rather give up and go back to some place that’s more safe and mainstream. And it’s my purpose, sharing stories to heal, that supports my passion.
I believe that everyone has at least one (usually several) inspirational stories to share. It is only by sharing our personal stories that we enable others to see what is possible; reduce individual isolation and create connections; and ‘normalise’ our diverse life experiences so that others understand that although our journeys are unique, there are always commonalities, challenges and shared experiences (no matter how seemingly unusual and unexpected).
This Wednesday I will begin sharing weekly stories of #coolpeopleIknow on my Lucy and Life blog. The contributors will share their personal stories to help inspire others. They will be my friends or friends of friends who are seeking to make things better through living a heart-led and authentic life underpinned by their passion (whatever that might be).
I’m really looking forward to publishing these stories and I hope that in doing so, readers will be inspired to begin living their passion today.
